Water shortage looming in Legazpi

LEGAZPI CITY—This city is teetering on the brink of running out of potable water as upland villages start to find their faucets dry.

The Legazpi City Water District (LCWD) could not do anything about the water shortfall and blamed the Philippine Hydro Inc. (PhilHydro), its water provider, for not pursuing measures that would improve and meet the water requirements of thousands of city residents, according to LCWD spokesperson Richard Atun.

PhilHydro, which is currently operated by Maynilad, was contracted by LCWD in March 2007 to provide potable water to the water district for 25 years.

Atun said LCWD pays PhilHydro P8.1 million a month for 20,000 cubic meters of water per day or 600,000 cu m per month.

But the daily water supply should have been higher by now since the agreement provides for an increase of 1,000 cu mper day for each succeeding year. Based on the agreement, the water supply should have been 27,000 cu m per day by this year, Atun said.

Atun said LCWD has formally asked PhilHydro to address the looming water shortage.

Atun said LCWD currently services some 21,000 household in the 70 villages of Legazpi City.

The water shortfall of about 7,000 cu m a day has affected some 4,200 household consumers, especially those in the upland villages in the southern part of the city—the Old Albay District, Mauyod, Tula-tula Istanza, Taysan, Maslog, Homapon, Bagacay, Bariis and Banquerohan.

Atun said due to low water pressure in these areas, LCWD has initiated a water supply distribution scheme where water pressure reaches its maximum during peak hours only—5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays.

PhilHydro is getting its ground water supply from wells in the villages of Mabinit, Bunga, Buyuan and Pawa.